Using Texts

You can get displayed text in an element by assigning a string in the element property Texts ‣ Text. For example all base elements have this property. Also, you can get displayed a text as a tooltip (element property Texts ‣ Tooltip). Texts assigned in this way are static. They are managed in the object GlobalTextList in view POUs and they cannot be modified during runtime, neither programmatically nor via an user input.

However, you can extend a static text by (exactly) 1 placeholder containing a formatting specification, in order to output the content of a variable at this place. At runtime the current value of the variable, which you have assigned to the element via property Textvariable, will be output.

Note

On the possible formatting specifications please see: Placeholders with Format Definition in the Output Text

By dynamic configuration you can animate the optical representation of the text.

You can localize the static texts, if you have set up multilingualism in your project.

See some examples for the text configuration of visualization elements in the following chapters.

See also

Labeling an image element with a static text

  1. Below the Application object insert an object Image Pool named ImagePool_A.

  2. In the image pool ImagePool_A add your stop symbol image file with ID Stop.

    ⇒

    8652c9123290ee36c0a8640e004b2569_287d47ea9d46ca6ac0a8640e01e8c88f

  3. Open the visualization and from the ToolBox draw an element Image into the editor.

    ⇒

    The input assistant opens. In tab Category you see the image poolImagePool_A.

  4. Select the image Stop and close the dialog with OK.

  5. Configure the property Text of the image: ImagePool_A, Stop

  6. Configure the property Text properties ‣ Horizontal alignment: Left.

  7. Configure the property Text properties ‣ Vertical alignment: Bottom.

    ⇒
    ../_images/0e0bf5cb9d608e36c0a8640e011835a0

Text output: Element outputs the result of ST code which is executed on a mouse-click

  1. Open the visualization and insert a Button element.

    ⇒

    The Properties view opens for the new element.

  2. Configure property Text: Number of clicks: %I

    ⇒

    The string contains the placeholder %I.

  3. In POU PLC_PRG of the application declare a type-conform variable: iClicks : INT;

  4. Configure the property Text variable of the button element with PLC_PRG.iClicks.

    ⇒

    At runtime the variable value will be output instead of the placeholder.

  5. Below property Inputconfiguration, in the cell containing the input event OnMouseClick, click on Configure.

  6. From the list of possible actions choose Execute ST-Code.

  7. Enter the code for the action in the editor Execute ST-Code:

    PLC_PRG.iClicks := PLC_PRG.iClicks + 1;

  8. Close the dialog with OK.

    ⇒

    The user input is configured.

  9. Build, download and start the application.

    ⇒

    The application is running. The visualization opens. The element is labeled and the number of clicks will be output. If you as user click on the button, the number will be increased.

    ../_images/a78f7982a0e5d333c0a8640e00de6a86

Text output: Dynamic output using a textlist

Using the Text field element you can produce a dynamic text output. The text output can be effected via an user input or via the application program.

  1. Open the visualization and insert a Text field element.

    ⇒

    The Properties view shows the configuration of the element.

  2. Below the application add a Text List with the following entries: Textlist_A.

    ⇒
    ../_images/b9b57344e5b8bf92c0a8640e01428398

  3. In POU PLC_PRG of the application declare the text variable:strTextID : STRING := '0';

  4. Also declare the variable strTooltipID : STRING := '0';

  5. Also declare the variable iText : INT;

  6. Configure the property Dynamic texts ‣ Text List with 'Textlist_A'.

  7. Configure the property Dynamic texts ‣ Text index with PLC_PRG.strTextID.

  8. Configure the property Dynamic texts ‣ Tooltip index with PLC_PRG.strTooltipID.

  9. In POU PLC_PRG implement the CASE instruction as shown below.

    ⇒

    The variables in property Dynamic Texts are programmed.

  10. Configure the property Inputconfiguration ‣ OnMouseclick for Execute ST-Code with PLC_PRG.iText := (PLC_PRG.iText + 1) MOD 4;

    ⇒

    For element Text field an user input is configured.

  11. Build, download and start the application.

    ⇒

    The application is running. The visualization opens. In the text field the text None is output. When you as user click on the element, the text changes to Dynamic_ File_A. And the matching tooltip is available: Information A. With each click the text changes according to the CASE instruction.

    ../_images/c98ed7a5e5c0a471c0a8640e005a82dd

CASE instruction

CASE iText OF
0:\ strTextID := '0';
\ strToolTipID := '0';

1:\ strTextID := '1';
\ strToolTipID := '4';

2:\ strTextID := '2';
\ strToolTipID := '5';
\
3:\ strTextID := '3';
\ strToolTipID := '6';
ELSE\
\ strTextID := '0';
\ strToolTipID := '0';
END_CASE;

Text output: Configuring a static + dynamic text output

In property Texts ‣ Text you can define a text in order to get a static text output. A text in Texts ‣ Tooltip will be displayed as tooltip. You can configure the text in a way, that the content of a variable is additionally output.

You can extend a static text by (exactly) 1 placeholder including a formatting definition, in order to output the content of a variable at this place at runtime. The variable must be assigned in property Text variable. When the variable value changes in the application code, then at the same time the output in the visualization changes.

  1. Open the visualization and insert an element Text field.

    ⇒

    The Properties view shows the element configuration.

  2. Configure the property Texte ‣ Text: File name: %s

    ⇒

    The text contains the placeholder %s.

  3. In POU PLC_PRG of the application declare a type-conform variable strFileName : STRING := 'File_A';

  4. Configure the property Text variable of the text field with PLC_PRG.strFileName.

    ⇒

    At runtime the variable value will be output instead of the placeholder.

  5. Build, download and start the application.

    ⇒

    The application is running. The visualization opens. The text field element displays the text: File name: File_A

See also

Configuring text input in a text field

You can use the Text field element in order to output the text given by a variable, or to provide a place, where the user can give input on the variable.

Additionally you can configure a text input. In this case on an user input an input field in the element Text field will appear. As a precondition you must have configured an user input action in the property Inputconfiguration.

See also

Showing text as a tooltip

  1. Open the visualization and insert an element Text field.

    ⇒

    The Properties view shows the element configuration.

  2. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text: File name: %s

    ⇒

    The text contains the placeholder %s

  3. Configure the property Texts ‣ Tooltip: Storage location: %s

  4. In POU PLC_PRG of the application declare a type-conform variablestrFileName : STRING := 'File_A';

  5. In POU PLC_PRG of the application declare also the variable strFileDir : STRING := 'D:/Data';

  6. Configure the property Text variable of the text field with PLC_PRG.strFileName.

    ⇒

    At runtime the variable value will be output instead of the placeholder.

  7. Configure the property Tooltip of the text field with PLC_PRG.strFileDir.

  8. Build, download and start the application.

    ⇒

    The application is running. The visualization opens. The text field element shows the text File name: File_A. When the mouse cursor is moved above the text field, the tooltip will be displayed: Storage location : D/Data.

    ../_images/34c5c0b2e57952c8c0a8640e01160226

See also

Configuring element Text field for text input

The user should be able to enter text in a text field. For this configure an input of type Write variable on a text output variable. This text output variable will store the text input of the user and will display this text instead of the placeholder (this is %s in the example below). You specify the text output variable in the property Text variables ‣ Text variable.

  1. In POU PLC_PRG of the application declare a string variable: strInput : STRING;

  2. Open the visualization and insert an element Text field.

    ⇒

    The Properties view shows the configuration of the element.

  3. In property Texts ‣ Text enter Input: %s.

  4. In property Inputconfiguration for mouse action OnMouseClick click on Configure to open the Input Configuration dialog box. There choose action Write a Variable and activate option Use text output variable. Close with OK.

  5. In the element property Text variables ‣ Text variable assign the text output variable PLC_PRG.strInput.

  6. Build, download and start the application.

    ⇒

    The application is running. The visualization opens. The element outputs the text: Input:. Click in the element to open an input field, where you can enter a string. After having terminated the input by Enter, the text will be adopted.

    ../_images/41d28ac4e5f762b6c0a8640e00655a74

Animating the text display

Configure the property Font variables in order to animate the display of a text. All base elements have this property, additionally the table, scrollbar and text field element.

See also

Configuring the ‘Label’ element

  1. Open a visualization and insert an element Label.

    ⇒

    The Properties view with the pre-set property configuration opens.

  2. Configure the property Texts ‣ Text: Visualization A.

Making an element invisible

You can configure the property State variables ‣ Invisible in order to hide an element in the visualization.

  1. For the text field element configure the property Texts ‣ Text with Error detected: Do the following....

    Configure the property Text properties ‣ Font color with dark red.

  2. In PLC_PRG declare the variable bIsInvisible : BOOL : TRUE; (this is the initialization for the current example; normally the variable should be set to TRUE by the application program under certain conditions.

  3. Configure the property State variables ‣ Invisible with PLC_PRG.bIsInvisible.

  4. Build, download and start the application.

    ⇒

    The application is running. The visualization opens and the text field is not visible. When you set bIsInvisible to TRUE, the textfield will be displayed.